op new yoek



(No Model.)

V. HIMMER.

ELECTRIC OLOGK.

Patented Mar. 20, 1883.

WITNESSES N. PETERS, Prkwuuo n m. Wzuhingtcl D. c.

UNTTED STATES PATENT Grimes VITALIS HIMMER, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE TIME TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 274,325, dated March 20, 1883,

Application filed Septombor18,1882. (No model.)

I all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I,V1rrAL1s HIMMER, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof the city, county, and State of Few York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of electric clocks designed to be operated by periodical 1o movements of the armature of an electro-magnet included in the circuit of a battery or genorator, the connections of which circuit are established and broken at regularly-recurring intervals by the movements of a central regu- [5 lating-clock. Thegeneral principle upon which clocks of this class are based consists in actuating a d riving-pawl by means of the periodical movements of an armature and its lever,which pawl serves to propel a train of time-dividing wheels and impart a uniform intermittent progressive movement thereto. The rotation of these wheels is such as to communicate the proper relative motion to the hands of the clock. The difficulties encountered in con- 2 structing clock-movements of this class are, for the most part, confined to the armature, its lever, and the pawl-connecting mechanism.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for securinga more positive and certain 0 action of the armature and mechanism for actuating the driving-pawl,which does not require readjustment, to provide efficient means for synchronizing the hands of the secondary clock with those of the central regulator or other 5 secondary clocks,and to provide a relay device for controlling subsidiary circuits for actuating other secondary clocks.

My invention consists in the combination of an armature pivoted upon one side in such a manner that it may swing to and from the poles of its electro-magnet, with a flexible extension or lever for conveying the motion of the armature to a system of levers which actuate a pawl for driving the time-dividing wheels;

5 and it further consists in so arranging the several parts that the action of gravity will serve to withdraw the armature from the poles of the electro-magnet whenever the latter is not traversed by a current of electricity, which action 'as shown at 0.

will at the same time cause the pawls to resume their normal position.

The invention also embraces the application to the armature of a flexible attachment which may be employed for closing an independent secondary or relay circuit.

An additional important feature of the invention consists in attaching to the shaft of the minute-hand a heart-shaped can], against the periphery of which the armature-lever of a second electro-magnet is caused to press whenever required underthe influence of an electriccnrrenttransmittedtherethrough. The pressure of the lever causes the cam, together with the minute-hand of the clock, to revolve to a predetermined point, thus enabling it to be brought into synchronism with the regulating-cloek.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure l is a front elevation of the clock mechanism, showing a part of the dial in dotted lines; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

ieferring to the drawings, A represents an electro-magnet, which is designed to be included in the circuit of a battery the connections of which are controlled by a central regulatingclock in any suitable manner. The armature of this electr c-magnet consists of a rectangular piece of soft iron pivoted upon one edge, as shown at b b, by means of suitable supports, 1) b and is constructed to swing toward the poles of the electro-magnet A under theinfluence of magnetism whenever the latter is traversed by a current of electricity, but at other times to be drawn away from the same by means of the mechanism hereinafter described.

Upon the lower end of the armature Bis secured a flexible extension, 0. The upper end of this extension is riveted t0 the armature B,

An adj ustingscrew, 0, extends through and turns in a corresponding threaded hole cut in the extension 0, near the lower extremity ofthe armature B. By means of this screw 0, the extremity of which bears against the surface of the armature, the extension C may be sprung away from thelower extremity of the armature to any required distance. The lower extremity of the extension 0 engages a pin, (1, extending from the short end of an L-shaped lever, D, and acts to raise the long end of this lever whenever the armature B is attracted toward the poles of its electro-magnet A. The lever D is fulcrumed at its angle (1 upon an axis, (1

Near the center of the long arm D of the lever D is carried a pawl, (1 which is pivoted at one end, (1 to that arm. The free end of the pawl d rests upon the toothed wheel E, and is constructed to be carried back a sufficient distance by each vibration of the armature B to engage one tooth of the wheel E, and at each forward movement to carry the wheel through a portion of its revolution equal to the combined widths of one tooth and the opening between that tooth and the nextsucceeding one.

At the extremity of the long arm D of the leverD is carried a pin, (2 which, immediately after the pawl d has carried the wheel E through the space which it is designed that one vibration of the armature B should advance it, will enter the space between two teeth of the wheel E and preventit from being revolved a greater distance until the armature is again vibrated by its electro-magnet and the arm D again raised.

Immediately below the pin (1 is placed a dog, d, pivoted at (1 The free end of the dog (1 rests upon the periphery of the toothed wheel E, and falls into the successive spaces between the teeth. The dog (1 is designed to prevent any backward movement of the wheel E, while the pin 42 prevents the forward movement of the same, except at the time when the long arm of the lever D is raised by the movement of the armature B. The pin d and the dog (1 preferably enter upon opposite sides of the same tooth, as I have found by experience that the action of the two is more reliable when constructed in this manner than when several teeth are allowed to intervene, for the reason that any slightirregularity in the widths of the teeth or intervening spaces will be multiplied by the number which intervene between the dog and the pin.

The connections from the wheel E with the hands f and f of the dial F are similar to those ordinarilyemployed in clock-movements, and consist in this instance of a pinion, 6, carried upon the shaft e of the wheelE, which pinion engages an idle-wheel, 0 To the face of the idle-wheel c is secured a pinion, c whichin turn engages a toothed wheehefithus conveying motion to a quill, 0 upon which is carried the hour-hand f of the clock. The minute-hand f is carried upon the shaft 0, and the connecting-wheels c and c are so constructed with reference to the pinions c and e that the hand f shall be caused to complete one revolution for each twelve revolutions of the hand f. The wheel E is constructed in this instance with sixty teeth, and thus it will be evident that if the armature B be caused to vibrate once each minute the hand j" will mess I be caused to complete one revolution each hour, and the hour-hand f will be caused to complete during the same time the required fraction of a revolution.

The adjusting-screw c is employed for regulating the position of the extremity of the flexible arm or extension 0 with reference to the connecting-pin (l, and the flexible arm is preferably so constructed that a current of more than ordinary strength will cause the armature B to be attracted toward thepoles of the electro-magnet with sutiicient force to bend it slightly. Immediately upon the cessation of this current the resiliency of the spring will assist in withdrawing the armature from the poles ofthe magnet, thereby preventing it from adhering thereto by the action of the residual magnetism.

To cause the armature B to maintain its position away from .the poles of the magnet at 7 all times, except when attracted thereto by a current traversing its coils, I prefer to construct the long arm of the lever D of sufficient weight to act as a counterpoise and cause the pind to exert suflicient force upon the arm 0 to carry the armature into its backward position when the electro-magnet is not vitalized. For the purpose of preventing the armature from being forced too far from the poles of' the magnet A, I provide a stop, (Z which may or may not be made adjustable, and against which the back of the armature normally rests. Likewise I provide a back stop or pin, (1 for the long arm D of the lever D.

At the upper extremity of the armature B is carried a flexible forked extension, G, the upper end of which is preferably bent to an angle of about thirty degrees, and provided with suitable contact-points, g g. The arm G is preferably insulated from the armature B, and provided with a binding-post, for connecting an electric conductor therewith. Beneath the contact-points g g is placed a correspondingcontact-point,g', supported from the framework L by a standard, G. The contact-point g is designed to be connected by means of the standard G and a suitable binding-post, 9 through another series of secondary clocks, with one pole of a secondary battery, the opposite pole of which may be connected with the extension G. The contact-points g and g are normally not in electrical connection with each other; but whenever the armature B is attracted toward its magnet the points 9 will be brought at an angle into contact with the point p, and by the resiliency ot' the arm G caused to rub slightly over the same, thereby keeping the surface bright, and insuring a good electrical connection. The relative positions of the contact-points may be adjusted by means ofsuitable adj llS[ll]g-SU16W, carried upon the support G. In this manner I am enabled to employ the movements of the armature 13 not only for actuating the handsfandf, but also for closing a second electric circuit. This arrangement may obviously be extended to any desired number of circuits,

The means which I prefer to employ for synchronizing the handsfand f with the hands of the central or regulating clock consist of a heart-shaped cam, H, rigidly affixed to the shaft 0 of the minute-hand f, against the periphery of which a lever, k, may be caused to bear under the influence of an armature, i, of an electro-magnet, I, to which it is secured. The electro-magnet 1 may beincluded in a circuit entirely distinct from that of the electromagnet A, and may be vitalized whenever required; or it may be included in the same circuit and constructed to respond only to currents of considerably greaterintensity than those normally employed for actuating the armature B and its connected mechanism. Whenever the lever h is pressed against the periphery of the cam H the latter will be turned, by reason of its peculiar form, in one direction or the other, accordingly as the lever h chances to press against one side or the other of the point h of the heart-shaped plate. It is evident, moreover,that the plate will be revolved until the lever rests against the portion of the periphery nearest the central axis, 0. I prefer to mount the plate H upon the shaft, so that when the lever h is actuated the hand fof the clock shall be caused to turn to some convenient predetermined unison-point upon the dial-for instance, the numeral XII.

For the purpose of simultaneously releasing the toothed wheel E from the engaging pin 01 the dog cl, and the clip or pawl d I provide two arms jj, attached to the armature-lever h, which will be brought by the motion of the said armature-lever it into contact with the pin (1 the dog at, and the pawl (1 raising them all from the periphery of the wheel E. In this manner I am enabled, when the clocks are too fast or slow for any reason-such, for instance, as an interruption of the current by which they are actuated-to cause the same to be set at a given time whenever the current is again established, the operation being merely to send through the circuit including the electro-magnets I a current of sufficient strength to actuate the connecting-lever h.

It is not essential that the exact construction of the'locking device described with reference to the pin d? and dog (i be adhered to, as it is evident that in place of the pin (1 a pivoted click or pawl actuated by the arm D to engage and disengage the successive teeth in the same general manner may be employed. Nor do I wish to confine the application of my improvements to electric clocks actuated at intervals of one minute, as it is evident that by employing a suitable train of time-dividing wheels mechanism actuated once a second or at any required interval may be employed.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with a clock mechanism, a pivoted arm, and a pawl mounted upon said arm for driving said mechanism, of an electromagnet, its armature, a flexible extension secured thereto for actuating said pivoted arm, and means, substantially such as described, for adjusting the position of said extension relative to said arm, whereby its resiliency may be employed for forcing said armature out of immediate proximity to the poles of said electro-magnet upon the cessation of a current transmitted therethrough.

2. The combination, substantially as here inbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its armature, a lever secured thereto and moving therewith, a pawl for actuating a toothed wheel, mechanism for communicating the motion of said armature and lever to said pawl, a dog mechanically independent of said lever and pawl, resting upon and engaging the suc cessive teeth of said wheel upon one side, and a pin or click moving with said pawl for engaging the opposite side of the tooth engaged by said dog.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electro-magnet, its armature, mechanism, substantially such as described, for actuating the hands of a clocl; by periodic movements of-said armature in one direction, and an attachment for closing an independent circuit by the movements of said armature in the opposite direction, consisting of a flexible arm secured to said arm ature and having a bent extremity constituting a contact-point, and a stationary contactarm with which said bent extremity makes frictional contact under the influence of the movements of said armature.

4. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electromagnet, its armature, and means, substantially such as described, for actuating a clock mechanism through the movements of said armature, and [05 a synchronizing device consisting of a doublefaced'or heart-shaped cam, a second electro magnet, its armature, and armaturelever, which lever is caused, under the influence of an electric current traversing the second elec- 1 IO tro-magnet, to press against the periphery of said cam, and thus turn it to a predetermined point.

In testimony whereof'I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of September, 115 A. D. 1852.

VITALIS HIMMER.

Witnesses:

DANIEL W. EDGECOMB, CHARLES A. TERRY. 

